A coalition of 22 European Union leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, published a sharp letter attacking Spain's immigration policy, N12 reports. The letter expresses 'serious concern' over migrant infiltration into Ceuta and calls on Madrid to cancel its plan to grant citizenship to up to 1.2 million migrants, which the signatories say creates a 'pull factor' for illegal immigration.
Twenty-two European Union leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, issued a sharp letter attacking Spain's immigration policy, with a focus on Madrid's plan to grant citizenship to up to 1.2 million migrants, according to a report by N12 on Saturday.
The letter, which follows an earlier report by The Zioneer at 15:03 that outlined the leaders' general criticism and readiness for Schengen border checks, now includes a specific demand to cancel the citizenship initiative, which the signatories describe as a 'pull factor' for illegal immigration. The leaders expressed 'serious concern' over the infiltration of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and called for tighter European coordination on immigration control.
The development comes amid an escalating crisis in Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants entered from Morocco last week, overwhelming local infrastructure. As The Zioneer reported on Friday, the crisis led Italy to close its sea and air borders with Spain and suspend Schengen travel, while Finland and Austria backed the call for a broader European response. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has described the migrant infiltration as 'an attack on national sovereignty,' and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would not accept migrants who do not comply with entry rules.
The letter's specific focus on Spain's citizenship plan indicates a hardening of positions within the EU, with a bloc of states pushing for a more restrictive migration policy. The number of signatories, 22 out of 27 EU member states, suggests broad support for the tougher stance.
3 developments
- Developing22 EU leaders demand Spain scrap citizenship plan for 1.2 million migrants
- StrongVon der Leyen: EU will not admit migrants who fail to comply with entry rules
- StrongDenmark's PM calls for EU to consider suspending Schengen over Spain's migration crisis
- DevelopingThe Zioneer: Europe tightens immigration policies, hardens citizenship laws, deports migrants
Source and signal
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